Advice needed

Jobbydooze

Hi

I'm currently on JSA and last time I was there they changed my hours available to work from 9 til 4. (I felt pressured at the time to sign the agreement) This would mean putting my child into an after school club and presumably a breakfast club. I have a child under the age of 13, by their terms I have read that

"If you are a single parent and your youngest child is under 13, you have the right to restrict the hours you are available to work. You can restrict your hours to those of your child’s normal school hours as long as you are available for work for at least 16 hours each week." This is your right as a single parent.

Surely this would be 9 til 3.30 not allowing of course time for travel to work place and home ( I do not drive btw) I therefore feel pressured by the job centre to apply for jobs that are longer than school hours

As their are very few jobs that I could pysically get to/from during school hours I find it very hard to apply for jobs. I guess my point is why do they have restiction on hours if they dont really take in in to account?

Also does anyone know if I were to stop receiving JSA would I still be eligible for tax credits even if not working? or is it only eligble for people either working or on benefits.

Thanks (sorry for the long ramble) any help much appreciated

pyrorus

A few things spring to mind :-

1, You quoted their policy as stating you can restrict your hours as long as you are available 16 hours a week. if you do 4 hours a day five days a week that would be 20 and still fit into the school day. I would inform them that's what you would like to do and take the policy with you. if then they suggest interviews outside this just remind them you cannot do it.

If they do try and be funny / stop your jobseekers allowance I would complain and show them they are breaching their own policy.

2, You say your child is under 13, how close to 13 is (s)he? at 14 they can be left alone so it may be an option for you to work full time once they hit 14 and just allow them a house key.

3, You mentioned working outside the school hours you would need a breakfast club / afterschool club, have you looked into the cost of this, I have three children and work full time using morning and evening clubs, you may find that the additional wages cover the cost of the clubs, being available for full time work as well as part time would open up more opportunities for employment.

4, As for tax credits, as far as I'm aware the only link to earnings/jobseekers is to calculate how much you get. The only risk you may have of loosing them is if you have benefits stopped for fraudulent means, ie trying to get benefits your not entitled to etc. Someone may be able to confirm that for definite though.

Jobbydooze

Thanks for the help.

I'll try and mention it today as I have to go there, they always seem to intimidate me and any form of 'not complying' even thou it's their policy is deemed you're not trying hard enough and we will stop your benefit. Just because technically yes I can put her in morning and after school club then I should even thou their terms state I dont have to. I guess saying that I would like to do 4 hours a day 5 days a week is putting a restriction on the hours I can work which is by their terms saying I'm not avalable for work at all times (sorry if thats confusing) The system!!! Lol

My daughter is 8 hence she cant be left alone.

I have heard that breakfast and after school clubs can be part paid for by the government but that you have to work a ceratin amount of hours (possibly over 16?) Would have to check on that thou.
Thanks again

josie.d

You say your child is under 13, how close to 13 is (s)he? at 14 they can be left alone so it may be an option for you to work full time once they hit 14 and just allow them a house key.


Bear in mind that you are responislbe for your child until they are 16 years old (maybe 18, not sure) and should anything happen to him/her as a result of leaving them home alone while you work or even go out, then you can get into a lot of trouble and be accused of neglect. If you are not happy to leave your child at home alone and there is no childcare available, then you can still restrict your hours on this basis. Also, as a single parent of a child age under 16, you are within yor rights to ask that your hours are restricted to a maximum of 16 hours per week even if there are no jobs available for these hours. If in doubt, contact the Gingerbread single parent helpline - you should be able to find the number online.

Jobbydooze

Thanks I will give Gingerbread a look up

Hammyman

josie.d wrote: »

Bear in mind that you are responislbe for your child until they are 16 years old (maybe 18, not sure) and should anything happen to him/her as a result of leaving them home alone while you work or even go out, then you can get into a lot of trouble and be accused of neglect.

Don't be so bloody stupid. Yes when they're little, not when they are 14 and definitely not when they are 16.

Oldernotwiser

josie.d wrote: »

You say your child is under 13, how close to 13 is (s)he? at 14 they can be left alone so it may be an option for you to work full time once they hit 14 and just allow them a house key.


Bear in mind that you are responislbe for your child until they are 16 years old (maybe 18, not sure) and should anything happen to him/her as a result of leaving them home alone while you work or even go out, then you can get into a lot of trouble and be accused of neglect. If you are not happy to leave your child at home alone and there is no childcare available, then you can still restrict your hours on this basis. Also, as a single parent of a child age under 16, you are within yor rights to ask that your hours are restricted to a maximum of 16 hours per week even if there are no jobs available for these hours. If in doubt, contact the Gingerbread single parent helpline - you should be able to find the number online.

Don't be silly.

They could be married, in the army, have their own children etc at this age!

josie.d

Hammyman, are you saying we are not responsible for our children once they reach 14 years of age? Or even 16 when they are (or should be) still at school or college?

Hammyman

josie.d wrote: »

Hammyman, are you saying we are not responsible for our children once they reach 14 years of age? Or even 16 when they are (or should be) still at school or college?

I am saying that at age 14 and definitely at age 16, they are capable of looking after themselves after school and you cannot use that as an excuse not to work after 3.30pm.

At age 16 they are able to go live on their own, have sex, become parents....

pyrorus

Jobbydooze wrote: »

I have heard that breakfast and after school clubs can be part paid for by the government but that you have to work a ceratin amount of hours (possibly over 16?) Would have to check on that thou.
Thanks again

I looked into this a while back, Ill see if i can find the info out again, but basically theres a maximum wage you can earn, and we were finding that once you hit full time unless you were on pretty much minimal wage you earnt too much. It may be different for a single parent though.

pyrorus

Hammyman wrote: »

I am saying that at age 14 and definitely at age 16, they are capable of looking after themselves after school and you cannot use that as an excuse not to work after 3.30pm.

At age 16 they are able to go live on their own, have sex, become parents....

As a parent you are responsible for the child until they are 16 in which case that are classed as adults and as people have said can move out, get married etc etc.

However, at the age of 14 they are allowed to be left alone at home with no guardian. you are still responsible for their well being, but they are deemed responsible enough the be allowed to be left alone for a few hours or over night.

I will admit the law does go into a grey area with the length they are allowed to be left, but in the case of 3-4 hours from after school until a parent comes home there is no chance of neglect.